Subject specialist says inclusion of Zardari, Gilani as options not intentional, only gauging knowledge of students.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: The subject specialist who prepared the multiple choice questions for the grade ninth Urdu examination of Punjab board was disqualified for life, while the exam coordinator was disqualified for a period of five years.

The move – taken by the chairperson of Punjab Board – came after the exam paper included two bizarre questions with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani as options to choose from.

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Dera Ghazi Khan Chairperson Dr Zafar Aalam Zafri had constituted a committee under the supervision of Principal Government College Layyah, Professor Maher Muhammad Akhtar, to investigate and was given a 24-hour deadline to submit a report.

Today (Thursday), the report which was submitted by the commission entailed the statement given by Hafiz Ajmal – the subject specialist – that the inclusion of Zardari and Gilani as options was not an “intentional move” but only to gauge the knowledge of the students regarding current affairs.

While the exam coordinator, Ijaz Hussain, was disqualified for five years.

Further recommendations were also forwarded to the Executive District Officer to put the two officials on trial for “creating confusion” in the minds of the students and also for “insulting” the president and prime minister of the current government.

The paper was designed by officials from the education board in Dera Ghazi Khan. A total of eight boards make question papers for each subject. The papers are then shuffled in coordination with the secrecy department. The question paper from Dera Ghazi Khan therefore ended up in Lahore.

Strict punishment to teacher is unfair, such a question may sound “unusual”, but I believe it is not illegal. I think if the teacher goes to court challenging this one sided decision he can get justice.

I would take them as bonus questions by choosing the President or PM in both. The President and PM deemed insulted or that the truth in those questions were shown that actually the nation is facing now. A liar always finds it odd when he is accused of being a liar.
The punishment of banning the educators is non-sense. If every single thing is considered like this one in media and elsewhere against P or PM then I believe every single Pakistani must be banned for life.

This is the most bizzare punishment I have seen in a long time. This kind of questions have appeared all over the world in exams, I have seen these even in the US. There is nothing wrong in them, it gives a chance for the student to use their imagination and brains instead of just spewing whatever they memorized from their book. This kind of punishment only happens in a depressed society like Pakistan, we are following the ways of the dictators, always have.

@Copper: Teacher should not be bias when framing a question. That particular teacher sowing the seeds of hatred, teachers obsession and phobia should not be passed to student. Teacher should not be partial when imparting education. Punjab is producing Punjabi taliban because of bias teachers.

I why ppl are defending a bias teacher who wants to politicize the education, beware if this teacher will not be punished being bias next time in Balochistan and Sindh, teacher will frame question about atrocities of Army and agencies, and punjabi leadership. Though judiciary spared them always with clean chit, it doesn’t mean that they can fool ppl.

There are no legitimate reasons to put a life time ban on subject specialist and 5 years ban on exam coordinator, as both of them tried to please the President and Prime Minister by putting their names as one of the options.

This is one of the traditions out of many which is followed by all federal and provincial government servants for which they are awarded “Pride of Performance” by President of Pakistan.

I am amazed as why their names were not on the list of the recipients of Pride of Performance Awards of 2012?

I disagree with inclusion of the names of PM and President in a question paper, that too in a dubious manner, for God know what purpose. It is also obvious that the teacher was not completely “nai’ve” about the repercussions of such a move. The “unintentional” move is ludicrous.

Despite of all the above, I believe the lifetime ban is ridiculous.

The decision should be challenged in a court and the punishment should be just. A severe reprimand, along with disqualification for this particular exams, seems to be a fair punishment.

A great move by President and Prime MInister would be to forgive the teacher and advise him about the negative outcomes of such mistakes.

I personally thought that the option in the system of life question was a very relevant one. After all, Zardari is also a way of life (loot, plunder, murder, politics, horse-raising, and the list goes on). And if Zardari doesnt get disqualified from anything for all of it, then why should the poor examiner and subject specialist be banned? For those talking about the exam spreading hate…umm, lets see, the killings in Karachi are being done in the name of love?

Anyways, I’m sure that the PTI/PML governments will undisqualify the examiner and specialist when they come to power.

@Imran:
Very incorrect. Even exams like the SATs that are involved in college admission have joke questions like that in the West. I promise you. I have taken my fair share of them and I’ve never heard even the most anal person complain about it.

this teacher should be banned. i dont know of he hated zardari or wanted to please him, either way playing like this with education system of our country should be intolerable.
we already have a education system which preaches religious hatred, dont add political issues in it as well.

This is not a joke or innocent mistake. How can comparing God and religion with ordinary people be a joke? The kids are already confused and hate everything that is not fundamentalist and religious and we should not promote that. Only an idiot can put religion and ordinary people in the same question. The punishment is not for insulting humans but religion and the presidency and PM of the country. How about giving the choice between Jinnah, Liaquat Ali and religion? It is not surprising that we are producing more jihadists than any other country in the world. The world does not recognize the education system and Pakistani degrees and they are going to be stricter after these facts coming out.